Apparatus for producing illusory dramatic effects.



T. R. BARRETT.

APPARATUS POR PRODUGING ILLUSORY DRAMATIG EFFECTS.

APPLICATION FILED JULYQO, 1908.

vPa'ntea Nov.29, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

///v /Zl 3 T. R. BARRETT.

APPARATUS FOR PRODUGING ILLUSORY DRAMATIG EFFECTS.

APPLIATION FILED JULY 20,1908.

Patented Nov. 29, 1910.

2 SHEETSi-SHEET 2.

THE NaKa/s Perales co.. wAsHlNcruN. D, c.

TIMDTHY B. BARRETT, OF BORDENTOWN, NEW' JERSEY.

APPARATUS FOB PRODUCING ILLUSORY DRAMA'IIC EFFECTS.

Specicaticn of Letters Patent.

Iatented Nev. 29, 1910.

Application filed July' 20, 1968. Serial No. 444,556.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, TIMOTHY It. BARRETT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bordentown, in the county of Burlington and State of New Jersey, have1 invented a new and useful Apparatus for Producing Illusory Dramatic Effects, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide means for producing upon al theater stage the effect of a person missing and vainly endeavoring to catch up with a moving train, boat or other conveyance. I att-ain this object by the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which,-

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my apparatus. Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 are details of parts hereinafter more fully described. Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing a steamboat substituted for the train shown in Fig. 1.

Similar reference letters and numerals indicate like parts where they occur in the drawings.

Referring to the drawings 1 represents a panoramic endless curtain, provided along its upper edge with suspending hooks, 2, adapted to engage with depending clips 3 carried on a cable 4 arranged to run on pulleys, preferably grooved, 5 and 6, mounted on an overhead frame 7. Said cable 4 is arranged, preferably, to run over guidepulleys 8, 8, arranged in pairs'and angularly inclined to each other (as shown in Figs. 4 and 6) and supported on the frame 7. The cable 4 is caused to run on the pulleys, 5 and 6, to impart motion to the suspended curtain 1, by power applied to the pulley, as 5. In the drawings I have shown as driving means an electric motor, 10 connected by a belt 11 with a driving pulley 12 mounted on the frame 7 and operating the pinion 13 and gear 14 carried on the shaft of pulley 5. The endless curtain 1 consti.- tutes in my apparatus the background of the stage setting. As a further aid in producing the desired illusory effect I provide a second endless panoramic curtain 15 arranged as a lower foreground at the front of the stages, and running upon perpendicularly arranged rollers 16, 17, and caused to revolve therewith by power conveyed to one of said rollers, as 16, through a belt 18 driven by the motor 10. The two curtains 1 and 15 are driven at the same speed, and in the same direction, which in the case illustrated in the drawings would be from right to left.

Between the two curtains I arrange an imitation of the rear part of a car in such manner that one of the rear wheels of said car will rest upon and be caused to revolve by said curtain, l5, in the opposite direction from that in which said curtain is moving, thereby giving the impression that the car itself is moving` In the drawing 19 represents the car and 2O the wheel.

Upon a movable platform 21 I arrange the rollers 22, 23, mounted upon said platform and carrying an endless belt or treadmilllike apron 24 arranged to be driven by power applied to one of said rollers, as 22, by an electric motor connected by a belt 26 with said roller. Said platform is located at any suitable point on the stage floors, but preferably near the front or foreground curtain and concealed by the latter from view of the audience, and is connected by a rope 27 with a windlass 28 located off the stage out of view of the audience. Said apron runs from right to left, and said platform is, by said windlass, drawn backward away from the car 19. In order to illustrate the relations of the parts I have in the drawings shown the platform 21 and parts carried thereby exposed to view above the foreground curtain, and I have likewise so shown the curtain carrying cable, and the means for operating the background and foreground curtains, but it is to be understood that in actual use in a theater all of said parts will be, by the flies, side scenes etc. concealed from view, while the foreground curtain is calculated to conceal the platform, endless apron and operating means.

The platform 21 is preferably arranged to run on rollers or casters (not shown) so that it may more easily be drawn along the stage by the rope 27. For the purposes of this case I term this platform and its connected part-s the treadmill.

In the practical operation of my invention the background and foreground curtains being painted to represent a panoramic scene and mounted on a theater stage, as described, are by the motor 10, caused to move simultaneously in the same direction, the car wheel 20 is caused to rotate in the opposite direction as described, and the treadmill concealed behind the curtain l5 is motor driven, as shown and described and is at will drawn backward along the stage iioor by means of the windlass 28 concealed behind the wings of the stage. A person upon the treadmill 24; will be compelled to run fast enough to keep up with the speed of the treadmill and as the treadmill platform :2l is drawn backward away from the stationary car 19, the wheel Q() of which will be rotating, as described, the runner will appear to have tailed in his attempt to overtake the moving train.

ln the modification shown in Fig. 9 the operation of the apparatus is the saine with the exception that the steamboat is employed instead of the train or car. Any vehicle may be substituted for the car or boat. Likewise other sources of power may be employed instead of the motors to drive the curtains and treadmill.

l claim as my invention, 'and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

l. An apparatus for producing illusory dramatic eiects, consisting of an endless panoramic curtain movably suspended and adapted to serve as a background in a stagesetting, a second endless panoramic curtain movably suspended a distance in front ot said background curtain and adapted to serve complementary thereto as a lower foreground in a stage-setting, means tor moving both curtains simultaneously in the same direction, a simulated vehicle located between said curtains and provided with a wheel in contact with and rotated by said foreground curtain, a treadmill7 provided with an endless belt or apron arranged to run horizontally, and movably located between said curtains rearwardly of said vehicle and concealed by said foreground curtain, means for driving' said endless apron, and other means for moving said treadmill bodily in the same direction with said curtains.

2. In an apparatus for producing illusory dramatic ettects having a background eudless panoramic curtain and an endless panoramic foreground curtain, and means for moving both said curtains simultaneously in the same direction, the combination with said parts of a simulated vehicle located between said curtains and provided with a wheel in contact with and rotated by said foreground curtain.

TMOTHY R. BARRETT. 1Witnesses CHRISTIAN D. BERNSER, ELMER TANLEY. 

